TheSamba.com :: View topic - '60 15w walkthru (not suitable for purist ;) )

Mon Mar 03, 2014 10:56 am

RPGreg2600 wrote: mandraks wrote: Clara wrote: sweet!
Is it camping ready?

FWIW, here is the top half of that bus in 2007:

Clara, thank you for underscoring my point :) 15 window standard, no deluxe trim is where it is at

Doesn't look that bad? What was so rusty? Still see dog leg and rocker panel intact?

cargo floor was gone, front floor was gone, both doglegs, both A pillars, lower nose inner & outer, nose was punched hard, both B pillar were bad right side was rusty up to beltline, rockers gone, outriggers gone, tophats bad, rear shelf was really bad, both rear corners, one of the corners was dented badly up high, both battery trays gone, lower part of rear hatch frame was rusty, windsheilds need bottoms and 6" up the side, middle post was rusty, airbox was rusty, long panel dented and warped be on fixing, all the doors were too rusty to be worth fixing, etc....

the grafted is the beltline up one the rear half, right side B pillar was grafted above top cargo hinge, the windsheilds and airbox were left on the bottom bus and the roof was grafted to them

pretty much the only parts of the bus that was worth fixing was cut off and grafted onto the bottom donor bus

and for the record I did not do any of the cutting and/or transplanting I got it this way :wink:

Mon Mar 03, 2014 12:32 pm

I'm impressed to say that this may be the first fully worthy full graft I've seen. I'm NOT a proponent of hacification, but if there is an example like this out there, that works for me! To the surgeon and to Greg and Clara: Good job!

Will be watching this thread!

Mon Mar 03, 2014 12:58 pm

RPGreg2600 wrote: mandraks wrote: Clara wrote: sweet!
Is it camping ready?

FWIW, here is the top half of that bus in 2007:

Clara, thank you for underscoring my point :) 15 window standard, no deluxe trim is where it is at

Doesn't look that bad? What was so rusty? Still see dog leg and rocker panel intact? It's probably worse than it looks in the pics, as most rusty buses are; I would bet that bus would get saved today.

Mon Mar 03, 2014 2:49 pm

kombisutra wrote: I'm impressed to say that this may be the first fully worthy full graft I've seen. I'm NOT a proponent of hacification, but if there is an example like this out there, that works for me! To the surgeon and to Greg and Clara: Good job!

Will be watching this thread!

yes this one was one of the few worth getting hacked and grafted like this
the bottom bus was fixable but honestly it was a panel and I doubt most would put that much time and money into fixing it

Mon Mar 03, 2014 2:51 pm

StockNazi wrote: RPGreg2600 wrote: mandraks wrote: Clara wrote: sweet!
Is it camping ready?

FWIW, here is the top half of that bus in 2007:

Clara, thank you for underscoring my point :) 15 window standard, no deluxe trim is where it is at

Doesn't look that bad? What was so rusty? Still see dog leg and rocker panel intact? It's probably worse than it looks in the pics, as most rusty buses are; I would bet that bus would get saved today.

the cutting and grafting of this took place less then two years ago
if it was a pressed bumper bus I would agree with you but '62/'63 are the most common 15w

Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:32 am

not much has been going on with this project as I am still collecting parts for future things

but I did have some time and the parts to start the camper kit for it which I personalized for my needs

I started with some Riviera bracket(I think)

personally I felt they were not strong enough to support me and my wife rolling around while sleeping so I decided to beef them up :wink:

I also did not want it to be permanently bolted/screwed into the bus so I made a base for it that bolt in with the original seat bolts with sides and rear support(still need to add a 2x4 back there) this way it is easily removable

bolted seat bottom on and test fitting for final resting place/height of it

seat back on and testing for final position it will sit in still need alittle more adjusting but this gives you the basic idea of how/where it will sit

still have some more adjusting and pieces to make also still debating on how I want the cabinets under the seat

Wed Jun 25, 2014 5:02 am

"rolling around while sleeping" :lol: :lol: :lol:

Wed Jun 25, 2014 8:32 am

BulletBus wrote: "rolling around while sleeping" :lol: :lol: :lol:

Not my original intent but hey that works too :wink:

Wed Jun 25, 2014 1:32 pm

Very well crafted.

Thu Jun 26, 2014 7:02 am

Very nice, I am wanting to do this to my bus also. EDragnDean, did a great thread on one he installed in his bus, and now along with yours I think I have all of the bases covered. I like the idea of storage under the bed, I will be watching for your ideas on this. Thanks

Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:26 am

Big Bill wrote: Very nice, I am wanting to do this to my bus also. EDragnDean, did a great thread on one he installed in his bus, and now along with yours I think I have all of the bases covered. I like the idea of storage under the bed, I will be watching for your ideas on this. Thanks

I really liked the thread that EDragnDean wrote but the mechanism he used were just too expensive IMO to buy and then cut up to modified

I am thinking about making a few copies to sale but I would have to find a place to get the metal cheaper then I can locally because I would only do them if I could keep the final sale price more reasonable then the kits that are currently available

Thu Jun 26, 2014 12:17 pm

I have to go back and re-read his thread, I missed the part about cutting the mechanism. I like yours nice welding on the 45 degree angle cuts :)

Thu Jun 26, 2014 12:26 pm

Big Bill wrote: I have to go back and re-read his thread, I missed the part about cutting the mechanism. I like yours nice welding on the 45 degree angle cuts :)

yeah my welder was being a butthead that day :lol: I must have open it up to look for the problem at least a dozen times of course I didn't find it until after I was finished :roll: oh well they are still good welds and will all be hidden anyways

btw the original welds from Riviera looked much worse then mine did. nothing was square on them when I started and looked like a 3 year old made them :lol:

Sat Jul 12, 2014 3:07 pm

framed in the storage area under the bed my thoughts for the sides they will have cabinet doors on them and the middle will have a pull out draw but that is down the road
also will have them "faced" with some panels to match the westy style ones I will be installing in the back and roof

the wife thought the way I had it mount wasn't the safest so I made some pieces that would secure it better

pretty much done for now

Sat Jul 12, 2014 4:15 pm

Beautiful I want one, when are they going into production. :D

Sun Jul 13, 2014 1:17 pm

When you do your pull out drawer angle the guides up so when you brake the drawer doesn't always open up, unless you're thinking of some type of latch/catch for it.

Sun Jul 13, 2014 4:20 pm

tyzel wrote: When you do your pull out drawer angle the guides up so when you brake the drawer doesn't always open up, unless you're thinking of some type of latch/catch for it.

already thought ahead on that and I was going to look into some kind of RV latch or something that locks it in place

I will also be building a rear facing seat behind the drivers seat with storage under it also but I want to lay the flooring down first

Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:20 pm

joe56vw wrote: pretty much done for now

Choice setup! I bet it smells nice with that doug fir ply, too.

Mon Jul 14, 2014 2:56 pm

Joe - you making it to the vintage meet in this bus? Hope to see it.

Mon Jul 14, 2014 3:14 pm

notchboy wrote: Joe - you making it to the vintage meet in this bus? Hope to see it.

I will be at vintagemeet but not with the bus I still have to build the engine for it